The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has directed all government agencies in the state, particularly hospitals, to embrace a full cashless policy to mitigate the sufferings of the masses.
The governor gave the directive in view of the hardship caused by the redesign of the scarcity new naira notes and subsequent directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the need for citizens to embrace cashless policy.
He also called on the Federal Government and the monetary authorities to ensure full penetration of banking services to the rural communities and urged private businesses to embrace the cashless policy irrespective of the hiccups presently experienced in order to reduce the sufferings of the masses.
Announcing the governor’s directive on Sunday at a press conference in Asaba, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said the directive had become imperative following complaints of patients inability to access medical services at hospitals across the state due to unavailability of cash.
Aniagwu said, “Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has directed that every government agency should proceed to embrace fully the cashless policy.
“We have also directed that all hospitals should make urgent efforts to ensure that they provide Point of Sale service or any other platforms for them to collect funds electronically.
“This is because you cannot refuse to treat somebody because he does not have cash, so if at the state level we are ensuring that we conform, we are also encouraging the private sector to conform with the directive to ameliorate the sufferings of the people in this regard.
“We are urging all hospitals to take steps to provide alternative payment platforms other than cash, nobody should refuse to treat somebody because he is not able to provide cash.”
The Commissioner urged the people of Delta State to use the window provided by the cashless policy to key into the state’s Contributory Health Insurance Scheme to enable them access health services at any point in time without bothering to pay cash or out of pocket expenses.
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